Hi everyone.........I am new to this board and am wondering if anyone has went through something similar.

My daughter is 16 and has been on thyroid mediction for the past 4 years or so for hypothyroidism. Having moved to a new state I recently went to a new endocrinologist for her check up. She felt one gland seemed alittle larger than the other and combined with the fact, I think, that she really doesn't deal a lot with the DS population she ordered a sonogram. The sonogram came back showing that there is a 4mm nodule in her left thyroid gland. To all in the medical field this is very tiny. Her suggestion was to wait 1 year and have sonogram done to compare if there has been any change in size. I feel this is a long time to "wait and see". Having just been diagnosed with two "tiny" nodules in my lung and pulminologist suggesting retesting in three months.....1 year to me in to long. Her explaination to me about the difference from a nodule in the thyroid compared to a nodule in the lung was of no comfort to me. She said 1 in 5 people have nodules in their thyroid glands. More sensitive to this issue because of what I'm going through but needed to talk to someone that might have went through this with their loved one.

Hi,
I'm the mother of a DS child but I have a nodule on my thyroid, ar first I was a little scared but now I'm okay with it. I go once a year to have some tests done, so basically they are watching it, so far, no change. My tyroid levels are up and down, some times I can feel my throat is swellon where that nodule is, it can be irrating at times, espically when I can feel one side of my throat rub against the other side. When I get a cold with a cough that has a tendency to make it swell up and some times it will stay that way for awhile. Any question just ask me and I will answer then the best I can,
Karen W.

Hi ~ nodules are very common with hypothyroidism. My mother was diagnosed with one when she was in her late 40's - she is 83 now and they've just kept her on thyroid hormone all these years and do an ultra sound every few years to check the size of it. They are rarely cancerous or anything to worry about. Hypothyroidism runs in our family all the women have it including me. I'm going for my first ultra sound next week. I would not worry about this, it sounds like your doctor is treating it in a very normal and safe fashion.

Thank you both......Karen and Barbara Ann for your responces. I feel a lot better speaking to someone who is going through similar situation. When it comes to my daughter medical problems I feel very much in the dark. She is unable to communicate to me how she is feeling and or level of discomfort of any kind. I go by mothers intuition, body language and over all behavior, to judge if things are ok. I know at times especially when she is laying down at bedtime that she seems to be clearing her throat. She also does it while she is eating at times. Maybe she feels it more at these times? I don't know but I will do what the doctor says and just keep checking it. Thanks again for your words of comfort!

Hi,
Well I've been thinking about your daughter and I've come to the conclusion that she may have a little more of a harder time with this nodule due to the fact that there tounge is bigger which leaves less room in her air way. When my thyroid is swellon it bothers me and I have more room in my airway than her. My son was in the hospital last November, he had endocarditis and congestive heart failure, he was fighting to breath, they had an oxygen mask on him and they had it the highest it would go but his nights were so bad, he had to sleep sitting up and he still had a very hard time. They had talked about his airway and that he has less room for air flow due to his enlarged tounge. SO I guess this is something to think about and ask her Doctor. I know what you mean about trying to understand them when there speech is so poor, my son is 21 and I must say, his speech is still improving and he still comes out with new words and the school told me when he was 16, that was it, his speech will never improve, well it did and he proved them all wrong.
Good Luck to you
Karen W.